First lady Kim Jung-sook on Jan. 20 speaks at a meeting with Korea.net's Honorary Reporters from Egypt and K-influencers at the hotel St. Regis Cairo in the Egyptian capital.

By Lee Kyoung Mi and Lee Jihae
Photos = Yonhap News

First lady Kim Jung-sook of President Moon Jae-in, who is on an official visit to Egypt, on Jan. 20 met Korea.net's Honorary Reporters and K-influencers at the hotel St. Regis Cairo and called them the "driving force of Hallyu fervor."

At the meeting titled "K-culture, colored with the Nile," she said, "The various articles and videos you made are windows and doors opened toward Korea."

Ten people attended the event including Honorary Reporters and K-influencers, or YouTube content creators specializing in Korean culture, from Egypt and winners of a Hangeul photo contest.

Among Korea.net's 3,432 Honorary Reporters from 105 countries, 351 are from Egypt, the second-largest group after that in Mexico (553).

"The flowers bloomed by promotional ambassadors are illuminating the 'K,' representative of Korea," the first lady said. "You are the driving force of Hallyu fervor."

In May 2019, she told Honorary Reporters invited to Cheong Wa Dae, "Please spread around the world the hope sent from Korea, like the way dandelions spread countless spores and bloom flowers."

Two participants at the Cairo event gave gifts to the first lady. Nariman Talaal Salama presented a Hanbok miniature that she made, and Gehad Delaa Ali calligraphy of the letters from the title "K-culture, colored with the Nile" in Korean and Arabic.

The first lady gave to the participants a set of traditional Korean games including yut (a board game using four sticks), jegi (a shuttlecock used for kicking) and gonggi (jacks).

"As the second New Year, the lunar New Year, is coming soon, I hope you relish the joy of traditional Korean games," she said. "I wish you much luck in the new year."

The event was livestreamed in Korean and Arabic on Korea.net's official YouTube channel. 

First lady Kim Jung-sook on Jan. 20 takes a commemorative photo after a meeting with Korea.net's Honorary Reporters and K-influencers at the hotel St. Regis Cairo in the Egyptian capital.